


I could be the one

by blesseth



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Akaashi and Kuroo are the real mvps, Canon Compliant, Fluff, Kuroo is a true bro, M/M, Oblivious Bokuto, and Akaashi's elegant and smart
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-21
Updated: 2016-07-21
Packaged: 2018-07-25 20:17:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,488
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7546345
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blesseth/pseuds/blesseth
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sometimes Bokuto just needs a little push.</p>
            </blockquote>





	I could be the one

**Author's Note:**

  * For [paracyane](https://archiveofourown.org/users/paracyane/gifts).



> Welcome to the fandom! I hope that you're having a great summer and that you'll enjoy this fic!  
> Also, thank you for the prompt, I had lots of fun writing it!

_i. The Realization_

 

Naturally, it all starts because Akaashi - Akaashi and freakishly good observation skills that just can't be real, honestly - points out something to him.

"Bokuto-san," he starts without even glancing at his captain, eyes roaming around the gym, "I think Karasuno's setter wants to practice with you."

"Eh?" Bokuto's nose scrunches in confusion. "Karasuno's setter?"

Akaashi discreetly nods towards one side of the gym (and the action would look ungainly coming from anyone else but Akaashi who simply has a way of making things look graceful and elegant) where said setter is grabbing a water bottle.

Recognition flashes in Bokuto's eyes.

"Oh! Yeah, yeah, yeah, freak quick guy! With the super accurate toss!"

Akaashi merely hums in agreement, but that does nothing to deter Bokuto's newfound excitement.

"Akaashi," he exclaims, turning to face the setter, "you said he wants to practice with me? How do you know? Did he tell you? Too nervous to talk to the cool ace, eh?"

Akaashi seems to consider it for a second before-

"Something like that, Bokuto-san."

 

* * *

 

Bokuto is making his way towards Karasuno's setter (Kageyama, Akaashi said) when Kuroo intercepts his path.

"Oh ho ho? Why the rush?"

"I'm gonna ask Karasuno's setter to practice with me!"

Kuroo doesn't look the least bit surprised or confused like Bokuto expected, and instead just throws him a lazy grin,

"So you finally figured it out, huh?"

"Figured what out?"

Kuroo just stares at him for a short while before finally muttering, "You're kidding me."

"Huh? What was that?"

"Nothing, nothing, just got confused." Bokuto wonders if he imagines Kuroo's grin growing even wider. "Why did you say you're going to ask him to practice with you?"

"Akaashi said he wanted to toss to me!"

This time he's certain he doesn't imagine it. Kuroo is practically leering at him now.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

"No reason."

"Bro."

"I'm just happy you two are going to practice together. Bonding between different schools and all that."

Bokuto throws him one last suspicious look.

"Sure. Well, anyway, I'll go now," he says gesturing towards Karasuno's setter who's now glaring at the volleyball in his hands. It's... oddly adorable.

"You do that, bro. Good luck." Kuroo pats him on the back and runs off before Bokuto can tell him he doesn't need luck. He's simply asking the guy to practice, after all. What could he possibly need luck for?

 

* * *

 

Turns out he could've used some luck.

"Akaashi! He just ran away! Literally!"

"Who did?"

"Karasuno's setter, Kageyama! I tried to approach him, but he ran away!"

Akaashi finally looks up from his notebook to where Bokuto is standing in front of him, bouncing up and down with distress. (He deduces his captain is a few wrong words away from his Dejected Mode.)

"Maybe he was nervous," he suggests. "You _are_ one of the top five aces in the country."

Bokuto stops bouncing.

"You think so?"

"You said it yourself," Akaashi shrugs charitably, "maybe he's too shy to talk to you."

"That... actually makes sense," Bokuto nods. "He's probably too intimidated, poor guy..."

Lost in thought, Bokuto doesn't notice Akaashi shaking his head in exasperation.

 

_ii. The Plan_

 

When he tells Kuroo what happened, he literally falls on the ground laughing. Bokuto frowns and pouts at him, prompting him to stop already, but it's a good few minutes before Kuroo really gets himself together.

"Seriously, he just-" he chokes on the word and for a second Bokuto is afraid he'll start laughing again, but to his immense relief Kuroo merely snorts, "ran away? Just like that?"

Bokuto nods solemnly.

"Well, you know, he was probably-"

"-too intimidated by me? Yeah, I know, Akaashi told me."

"Did he now."

"Yeah. So I need you to help me, you scheming cat. What do I do?"

"No need for flattery," Kuroo says, looking incredibly smug, "I'll help you simply out of the goodness of my heart. Let me just think for a second... hm, okay, yes, that might actually work."

"You thought of a plan?!"

Kuroo looks at Bokuto, all excitement and anticipation, and grins.

"Sure did."

 

* * *

 

It seems like a simple plan, in theory at least.

Kuroo will distract Kageyama while Bokuto sneaks up on him and strikes, 'strikes' meaning 'asks him to practice'. One hundred percent foolproof. Ten out of ten would use. Guaranteed success.

Except.

Kageyama doesn't seem to be interested in whatever it is Kuroo's talking about, nodding distractedly, glaring at some random object behind Nekoma's captain, and Bokuto just _knows_ he's about to bolt any second now.

He stands correct when not even a second later, not enough time for Bokuto to even cross the gym, Kageyama says something and leaves a gobsmacked Kuroo behind.

"What happened?" Bokuto exclaims once he comes to a hilt in front of his friend. "I thought you had him!"

"I did!" Kuroo fires back, visibly offended that his skills are doubted. "But bro, he straight up ignored me! And then he was all 'Sorry, Kuroo-san, I think my team's calling for me. Nice talking to you.'! Talk about rude."

"I thought the plan was perfect."

"Hey now, the plan _was_ perfect, okay? Not my fault Karasuno's setter isn't one for small talk or whatever."

"Okay, but couldn't you like... just grab him by the shirt or something?"

"Bro no, I'm not fighting the guy."

Bokuto purses his lips before lowering his head,

"I really wanted to hit that toss, y'know..."

"Oh- shit- Wait, fine! After lunch just try to approach him, I'll take care of the rest."

"You will?"

"I will."

"Thanks, bro, you're best!"

"Yeah, yeah, hold that thought."

 

* * *

  

Third time's the charm, they say.

After lunch, when all the teams are outside, some players sitting on the soft grass, others talking quietly in groups, Bokuto gets ready for his mission.

He meets Kuroo's eye from a few feet away and when he receives The Sign - a nod - he heads towards Kageyama who's blissfully resting, sitting with some of his teammates. Once he sees Bokuto, however, he quickly turns to them, says something and gets up to leave.

Bokuto would (almost) be offended if not for what happens next.

Kuroo, from his place a good few feet away from the setter, charges at Kageyama and tackles him, making everyone around them stop in their tracks.

Bokuto stares, gaping, frozen mid-step, until he catches Kuroo's eye again and hurries to the two of them.

"Ooops," Kuroo laughs, getting up. "My bad, I lost my footing. Sorry."

He extends a hand towards Kageyama to help him up and throws another look at Bokuto as he does so.

"Hey, Kageyama," the ace starts hurriedly, "Let's practice together later, what d'ya say?"

Maybe it's Bokuto's eager grin or Kuroo clutching his hand, refusing to let go, or maybe even the crowd watching, but whatever it is, it works.

Kageyama agrees.

 

_iii. The Turning Point_

 

Later turns out to be now. Everyone's busy and tired and it'd be easy to find an empty gym, Bokuto reasons and Kageyama just nods in agreement.

It _is_ easy to find an empty gym, as who in their right mind would practice again so soon - save for them and a couple of guys in gym number three, but they don't really count - and as soon as they walk in, Bokuto lets out a whoop of excitement and goes to grab the balls.

And then they just play.

In the beginning it's a little awkward and they can't quite find their rhythm but after a while the feeling of unease and discomfort fades away and they manage to find their pace.

It's nice. It's... more than nice. It's exhilarating.

It's also quieter than what Bokuto's used to. There's no sound except that of the ball slapping into his hand and hitting the floor. Usually he's a lot more talkative but now he doesn't speak, he just _feels_.

He feels Kageyama's eyes on him. He feels the gears into his head turning, calculating the perfect angle and amount of strength required. He feels him moving and shifting, getting in the perfect position for the perfect toss.

He feels the ball swiftly cutting through the air, flying, roaming.

He feels the muscles in his legs straining as he gets ready to jump. He feels his heartbeat speeding up with anticipation as he pushes himself up. He feels the familiar weight of the ball in his hand and then he does what he does best. He spikes it as hard as he can, right into that one spot where it's supposed to go.

And it happens all over again every time.

(He doesn't think he'll ever grow tired of this.)

What makes it even better-

-Kageyama is enjoying himself too. Bokuto can see it on his face, a face that usually betrays nothing, but now he sees it clear as day and it's beautiful.

How his eyes are sturdy as steel, flashing brightly with a thousand emotions at once. How his cheeks are flushed a lovely pale shade of pink. How his lips are constantly twitching, on the edge of a smile. How his whole body is trembling with exhilaration but his hands stay steady, always steady.

_Beautiful._

That's the only word he can think of, because that's what it is. Beautiful.

And it's all too soon when one of Fukurodani's managers comes to tell them dinner is ready.

Bokuto frowns. He wants to feel more of this, whatever it may be.

"Bokuto-san," Kageyama suddenly speaks up, looking more abashed than Bokuto's ever seen him. "This was... nice."

And Bokuto may not know Kageyama well, maybe not even at all, but he understands what he's trying to say.

So he smiles wider than he thinks he's ever smiled.

"It was! Let's practice together again soon, okay?"

 

_ii. The Plan_

 

The thing is, after that practice the two of them start hanging out. Sort of.

It's not really 'hanging out' per se, simply because that somehow doesn't sound right, but they do spend a lot of time together.

They don't always play volleyball, too.

Sometimes they merely talk and granted, most of the time Bokuto does a big part of the talking, but if they happen to stumble upon a topic Kageyama's interested in, he does quite a lot of talking as well. At first he seems a bit hesitant to share his ideas and views, but with time and Bokuto's endless encouragement, he starts speaking his mind more often.

Bokuto especially likes it when that happens because as much as he enjoys talking, he enjoys seeing Kageyama get passionate about random things even more. (In retrospect, that should've been his first clue.)

Their teammates notice, of course. No one says anything - there's nothing to be said, is there? - but they definitely notice. And they try to be nice and friendly, each in their own way.

When Bokuto's late for breakfast (usually because he's overslept) Sarukui invites Kageyama to sit with their little group and Konoha always lets him know when Bokuto's got caught up in something and is going to be late for one of their meetings.

(Akaashi gives him little tips on how to avoid Bokuto's Dejected Mood and how to get him out of it, but Bokuto doesn't need to know that.)

Komi, on the other hand, announces Kageyama's presence to Bokuto every time he as much as catches sight of the Karasuno setter. It's always "Hey, Bokuto, there's Kageyama-san! Kageyama-san, hi!" and "Is that Kageyama-san? Oi, Bokuto-!". (That should've been Bokuto's second clue.)

It happens tonight too.

"Bokuto, there's Kageyama-san! He seems lonely, why don't you go sit with him?"

"Huh?" Bokuto glances at the table Komi is not-so-discreetly pointing to. True, Kageyama _is_ sitting all alone, but... "I'm already sitting with you, guys. What kind of captain would I be-"

"We don't mind!" Komi interrupts, casting a prompting look to the rest of their teammates sitting with them. "Right, guys?"

A chorus of 'yeah's and 'sure's rings out, but Bokuto still isn't fully convinced.

"Just go, Bokuto-san," Akaashi says and if Bokuto didn't know any better he'd say something like amusement glints in his eyes.

"If you're all sure..."

Komi rolls his eyes,

" _Go_ , captain."

And so he does.

"Hey," he greets with a grin once he sits down in front of Kageyama who appears to be startled. Bokuto lets out a small laugh, "Ah, sorry, did I scare you?"

When Kageyama frowns and mutters a 'no', a telltale blush creeping up his neck, Bokuto finally gets it. (Strike three, you're out.)

Things just got a hell lot more complicated.

 

* * *

 

He's leaning on the wall of one of the gyms - he doesn't care to remember which one - with Akaashi standing with his back to him, watching the sky, when Kuroo arrives.

"Okay, what's the emergency?"

Bokuto stays silent and looks at the two people he considers his closest friends.

Akaashi is now facing him, his face impassive, save for the slight raise of his eyebrows - something Bokuto's learned means he has his complete attention. Kuroo's face, on the other hand, is easier to read and _oh._

He knows.

Bokuto glances at Akaashi again. Now that he knows what to look for, he can see it. They both know.

He feels like a weight has been lifted from his chest.

"What the hell am I going to do?"

They understand immediately.

"Tell him," Kuroo suggests the obvious solution, but Bokuto knows it's not the right one. It's never been about talking with him and Kageyama.

The corner of Akaashi's lips twitches,

"Show him."

 

_i. The Realization_

 

_"Show him."_

Akaashi's words echo in his head.

How? What if he doesn't feel the same? What if he does but doesn't want to pursue a long-distance relationship? All the questions buzzing in his head are making it practically impossible to sleep.

Realistically, he thinks as turns in his futon once again, it's only a crush. It'll pass after a while if he just ignores it. But here's the thing, he doesn't want it to. He wants it to work out, he really does.

And in the end, that's how he falls asleep. Hoping that it'll all work out somehow.

 

* * *

 

The next day they play volleyball and Bokuto's grateful because volleyball is easy. He understands volleyball.

And somewhere between the instant he touches the ball and the instant it hits the floor, he finally understands somethings else too.

So the moment he feels the ground under his feet again he turns to Kageyama. 

He looks as beautiful as ever and Bokuto couldn't suppress the smile on his face even if he wanted to. The blush he's already grown familiar with starts creeping up on Kageyama's neck and soon the tips of his ears are red too. His eyes shift downwards and Bokuto takes a deep breath because no,  _look at me_ -

And Kageyama looks up.

Then he smiles.


End file.
